Improvement in water-wheels



' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

M. DECAMP, OF SOUTH B END, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WHEELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 40,612, dated November17,` 1863.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, M. DEGAMP, of South Bend,in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented a newand Improved Water-Wheel; and I do vhereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, inwhichl Figure 1 is a vertical central section of my invention, taken inthe line a; x, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a plan or top \iew of my invention.

Similar letters of referenceindicate corre sponding parts in the twotlg-tires.

This invention relates to an improvement in horizontal water-wheels; andit consists in the employment or nse'of a removable funnelshaped ringfitted in the lower part ofthe penstock, and directly over the wheel, ashereinafter fully described, whereby the Wheel may,

.when necessary1 for repairs and other purposes,

be very readily raised from the penstock without removing the decking orplanking.

The invention further consists in the employment or use of a ring placedat the bottom ofthe wheel, which is open and arranged in such a mannerthat the water, when the. wheel is in operation, will not be supportedby the. latter, and consequently much friction avoided on the step ofthe wheel-shaft- To enable those skilled in the art to make, use, andconstruct my invenlion, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a quadrilateral penstock provided at its lower part with adecking` or planking, B, within or below which the wheel 0 is placed.This wheel (l is formed of two rims, a a, between which the buckets l)are placed, said rims being connected to the shaft D by means of arms c.The wheelhas an open bottom, and the lower end of the shaft D is steppedin a circular bed-piece, d, on the bottom ofthe tail-racee. (See Fig.I.) On this bed-piece d there is placed loosely a ring, E, of angle formin its transvers section, and the upper edge of this ring lits within aiiange,f, at the bottom of the lower rim a of the wheel, as shownclearly in Fig. l. This ring E prevents the escape of water underneaththe wheel.

F is a ring of conical form, the upper edge of which is provided with ahorizontal flange, g, which rests on the edge of the circularopening hin the decking or planking B, said Y opening being a trifle larger indiameter than the wheel. The lower edge of the ring F is provided with apendent flange, t', which tits within the upper rim a of the wheel.

The two rings E F may be of cast metal, and the wheel C may also be ofthe same material.

From the above description it will be seen that the water, as it passesthrough the wheel in the direction indicated by the arrows, cannot restupon the wheel, as the latter is not provided with any bottom. The waterwill rest or act upon the bed-piece d, and escape through the bucketslb, the ring E preventing it from passing underneaththe lower rim a.Hence the step of the shaft D is relieved from the pressure caused inordinary wheels by the latter, supporting the water as it passes throughthem.

At any time when it is necessary to raise the wheel for alterations andrepairs all that is required is simply to elevate the ring F, and thewheel can be elevated at once through the openings h. By this means thetrouble of taking up the planking or decking B is obviated.

I would remark that the flange z' of the ring F and the upper edge ofthe` ring E fit snugly within the rims a a ofthe wheel C, so as to avoidany material leakage ofvwater.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The ring E, placed on the bed-piece d, in which the shaft Dis steppedand tted in the lower rim a of the wheel C, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

2. The conical or funnel-shaped ring F, fitted in the circular opening hin the decking or planking B, and Within the upper rim a. of the wheel,substantially as and for the purpose set forth. M. DEGAMP.

Witnesses:

W. J. HoLLowAY, WM. H. STANFlELD.

